Man Fatally Shot Near Kseifa as Police Investigate Rising Arab Community Violence

On the evening of July 31, 2026, police launched an investigation following a shooting near the village of Kseifa in southern Israel. Two men were injured, one critically, and both were evacuated to Soroka Medical Center. The critically wounded man was pronounced dead at the hospital. Officers from the Arara police station responded to the scene, collecting evidence and conducting searches to locate suspects. Initial police assessments indicate the incident was criminally motivated.

Earlier this year, on April 30, 22-year-old Raad Hazmiya from Haifa was shot in the abdomen in the city’s Shabtai Levi Street area, between the Hadar and Wadi Nisnas neighborhoods. He was hospitalized at Rambam Medical Center and later transferred to Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer at his family’s request. Despite medical efforts, he succumbed to his injuries in June. His case is being investigated by the Central Unit of the Haifa District Police and was recently reclassified as a homicide investigation. No arrests have been reported yet.

Raad Hazmiya’s death marks the 157th fatality due to violent crime in the Arab community since the start of 2026, representing a 13% increase compared to the same period last year, which itself ended with a record number of murders. The ongoing surge in violence has prompted heightened police activity and investigations across affected areas.